[02/06/12 - 07:27 AM]Travel Channel Goes Inside the World of Airport Auctions in the New Original Series "Baggage Battles" Premiering Wednesday, April 11 at 10:00 PM ET/PTThe series follows three teams of savvy "auction specialists" who travel to some of the most important and unknown auctions where their bids are based on sight unseen instincts.

[via press release from Travel Channel]

TRAVEL CHANNEL GOES INSIDE THE WORLD OF AIRPORT AUCTIONS IN THE NEW ORIGINAL SERIES "BAGGAGE BATTLES" PREMIERING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 AT 10:00 PM ET/PT

Follow Three Teams of Experts As They Hunt for Profits in the High Stakes Business of Unclaimed Luggage Auctions

Special One-Hour Premiere Featuring Back-to-Back Episodes of Miami and London

CHEVY CHASE, MD (February 6, 2012) - Ever wonder what happens to your lost luggage? Travel Channel provides a glimpse into the very profitable business of bidding, buying and reselling unclaimed property in the new original series "Baggage Battles," premiering with a special one-hour season opener featuring back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, April 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The weekly half-hour series follows three teams of savvy "auction specialists" who travel to some of the most important and unknown auctions where their bids are based on sight unseen instincts. The season premiere will kick off at Miami International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, and then the auction pros will jump across "The Pond" to London.

"Travel Channel is committed to bringing viewers new and inventive programming that examines all aspects of travel." said Andy Singer, SVP, Programming & Production, Travel Channel. "'Baggage Battles' exemplifies this type of unique programming and provides an unfettered perspective at the potentially lucrative and emotionally charged high stakes world of luggage auctions."

"Baggage Battles" features three teams of savvy "auction specialists": Laurence and Sally Martin, a married couple, have been in the antique business for over twenty years co-owning Studio Antiques in El Segundo, California. Mark Meyer is a young entrepreneur and owner of Long Island, New York's The Nifty Thrifty store. And, Billy Leroy is the owner of the iconic Billy's Antiques and Props, one of the last eclectic props and antique stores in New York City. With dozens of auctions to visit, thousands of bags to explore, and millions of dollars at stake, these auction specialists need both skill and luck to hit the jackpot. They don't know if it's junk or a jackpot until they win the bid and open the suitcase.

The premiere half-hour episode of "Baggage Battles" takes place at Miami International Airport, which is home to nearly 100 airlines and services 35 million passengers a year. As a result, an enormous amount of property gets lost at this airport and as many as 10,000 bags a year are unclaimed. Mark, Billy, and The Martins visit Miami in order to bid against each other, as well as many other buyers on this lost luggage from all over the world. In the second half-hour episode, the auction pros travel to London. Over one billion passengers travel through London's airports every year. Nearly half a million bags get lost or left behind in London. All the items that go unclaimed for six months get sent to one place: Greasby's Auction House. Inside this tiny hole in the wall lies one of the largest collections of lost property in all of Europe.

TRAVEL CHANNEL (http://www.travelchannel.com) is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world's leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, MD, and New York, NY. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.